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8.5 Class Meeting


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i am trying to get the arguments out there and up front so that people can clearly see the pros and cons -so it can be voted upon and sorted for at least the next three years. this does not necessarily mean I endorse a change in rig height. -for those with the time please feel free to do an engineering study and a cost estimate to clarify the picture further.

 

you can this to your estimates :

I got extension to my sail area for a fat head for $500

Rigging should be changed regularly - and if not due for a change possibly a lashing could be used to extend the rigging

various people over the years have added sleeved sections to the lower part of their masts longer than this

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Yes I have to agree this is turning into a bit of a bunfight.

 

As far as I know most 8.5 owners are happy with the rig height, and while I myself have thought that it could be increased albeit with a limit on sail area, the class is well established now and changing it for a couple of "prospective" owners is just a pile of sh*t because how many of the 10 or so 8.5 owners who actually make up the regular racing fleet are going to fork out 30k for a new rig and sail wardrobe to suit? I know we wont and why would we as that is why we joined the class, to have competitive racing amongst similar craft. I admit it is frustrating having such close racing with the 'open' boats downwind only to get slayed upwind, but if more 8.5 owners were to come out racing then we could have our own division and there would be no problem.

If the class is too "slow" for you don't harass us to increase the rig height, build a boat 1/2 a metre longer and race in the open fleet for f**ks sake! they practically have a class already with TWU, Timberdog and Frantic.

I would see this as the ideal step up with the 8.5 being a good introductory class for people interested in getting into multi sailing and an open 9 or 10m class as a natural progression from that. This is where we would look at going as a next step from the Dirty Deeds.

The 8.5s have been and still are a very competitive and popular class because for most people they are a manageable and easy to sail boat that you can take the odd novice or your family for a sail without too much drama, they are easy to find crew for, you have a barrel of fun, and dollar per knot the fastest ride up the coast you'll ever find. why would you want to change that?

 

Bob Fisher

 

All that comon sense in 1 post. And from some one actually racing in the class. Not from a guy who knows a guy who wants to build 5 8.5's but they are too slow with the max air draft!

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As much as we all love to argue, I have a strong suspicion that IF the airdraft goes to vote (has yet to be proposed as far as I am aware), it will be a vast majority saying to remain unchanged. Maybe even Unanimous

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To be honest I think that the focus of the class should be on why there is good numbers of boats racing for one weekend a year and not many for the rest of the time. I would think that some research needs to be done to find out why and then use this to try and change things to get them racing for the rest of the year. If this was able to be done the class and multihulls in general would benifit and all this bitching would become irrelevant.

 

btw I don't think that the airdraft will be the reason.

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Rig Height

 

I don't think the rig height is a problem with the class,

The boats are already fast- fastest in NZ for there size.

Already had a lot of capsizes in the class, taller rigs there will be a lot more

Boats can be sailed with a crew of three- bigger kites this would be hard

boats are already very hard to sail, having a taller rig would make them a lot harder still.

What's the most common reason people don't come out racing?- crew and breaking stuff nothing to do with rig height.

If the rig was higher everyone will still have square top mains, over lapers. I don't think the sail plans would change.

 

What we should be focusing on is the real problems in the class

 

Class racing- there is only one regatta a year that has class racing, what is the point in having a class boat to do one regatta a year. For a start the class should focus on the 4 main events being Coastal, Bay week, BMW and Tauranga race. Each of these events should have an 8.5 division, the 8.5 committee should reduce the entry fee for boats entering all four event early ie before coastal. There should be a worth while prize for the top boat over the 4 events on line. The main prizes for every event should be on line- this is a class not a division.

 

There should be a prize for 1st 8.5 on line every Wednesday night race.

 

The goal for the future should be to always have a separate 8.5 division or separate results, always on line.

 

The 8.5 association should approach insurance companies with stats about how an 8.5 is less likely to capsize or claim in the event of a capsize (capsize recovery) compared to other multihull- reducing 8.5s insurance.

 

Berthing, I believe this is being looked at stern to along X pair, should try to make it 8.5 exclusive.

 

Capsize recovery, there should be a Launch on stand by for the major 8.5 meter events, set up to right a capsized boat- some sort of rigging system- with people on board that know what they are doing and have a system in place.

 

Laurie- Lucifer

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some very good points there laurie.

 

you are definitly correct about probably needing 4 crew if you put on larger rigs, we have found we struggle with 3 now.

 

you are also correct that taller rigs would probably lead to more capsizes.

 

concentrating on getting some more regular class racing would definitly be a great area to focus on.

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well said Laurie

a lot of common sense

a lot of very small changes like Laurie suggests would have a much bigger impact than a change in rig height

if we all took up Laurie's suggestions for a year and enjoyed a fleet 3x the size the whole rig issue might go away because we would be having so much tught racing thru the fleet

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I keep looking at the Farrier Tris thinking they tick all the boxs for my requirements but I've heard people say Tris get dis-advantaged under the rule due to having a higher mast step and therefore missing out on sail area.

 

 

Some people mistakenly think this is the case however if you look at most Cats the gooseneck is above the hulls cabintops and if you lower the gooseneck on a tri to just above the cabin its the same.

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Here is my proposed rule change. The prod length is not measured 2m from hull, but the overall length of the boat including the prod shall not exceed 10.5m. ie if you are shorter than 8.5m, you can have a longer prod. Make sense?

 

Thanks,

 

Jon Bilger

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you could probably use the isaf measuring systems for loa of hull, the rudder over hand would then be irrealivant unless the hull surface extended to support the rudder/s or the lower gudeon was part of the possible water plain.

you will find it under most of the isaf rulings, or it typically reverts to the ims rules

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